Accounting machine



Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND ACCOUNTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheer, 1

Filed June 24, 1941 ATTORN EY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND ACCOUNTINGMACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1941 y w A RM Y 7 O S M T0 I RN N E U 0 v T Nd m m W a Y Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND ACCOUNTINGMACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 24, 1941 III-hi INVENTOROSCAR-.LSU/VDSZIPAND ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDS'TRANDACCOUNTING MACHINE 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 24, 1941 N v E N TO ROSCARM Sl/A/OST/PA/VD ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

- I ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 5 iNVENTOR I0564/? d SUI/DST/PAND ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed Jun 24, 1941.

17 Sheets-Sheet 6 N v E N TO R OSCAR J. SUNDSTAAND ATTORNEY Jan. 18,1949.

o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, .1941 17 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jan. 18, 1949.

O. J. SUNDSTRAND ACCOUNTING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 24,1941 INVENTOR RdJUA/DST/PA/VO RNEY BY ATTO 0. J. SUNDSTRAND Jan. 18,1949.

' ACCOUNTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed June 24, 1941 INVENTOROSCAR J SUNDSTRAND K ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND ACCOUNTINGMACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet l0 INVENTOR OSCAR d l/IYDS TBA/VD BY K ATTORNEYm C n R E n w u "4 7 u 9 V V 1 a. I x5555: m u, J m 1 1 F Jan. 18, 1949.O J SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

I ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 17 Sheeis-Sheet ll INVENTOROSCAR J. Sl/NDSTRAND ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1949. O J SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

ACCOUNTINGMACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 :12 iii 1/4 1%INVENTOR OJCAAdSl/NDST/M/VD BY ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRANDACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 17 Sheets-Sheet l5 Jan. 18, 1949.o. J. SUNDSTRAND ACCOUNTING MACHINE 1'7 Sheets-Sheet l4 Filed June 24fmvs/wpmMAn/rs. cLAsJ/HtAr/a/Y 0 BC ELECTRIC COMPANY INVENTOR J, JU/VDS1949- o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR IOSCAR J. SUNDST RAND ATTORN EY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,459,468

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1 941 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 16 INVENTOROSCAR J Sl/A/DST/MND ATTQRNEY Jan. 18, 1949. o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,459,463

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1941 17 Sheets$heet 17 "A'REG. 54/95INVENTOR OSCARJSUNDSTRAND BY &

la ATTORNEY7 Patented Jan. 18, 1949 ACCOUNTING MACHINE Oscar I.Sundstrand, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Application June 24, 1941, Serial No. 399,461

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to accounting machines and more particularly to amachine for printing, proving and punching public utility company bills.

Utility companies, such as for example, electric power companies,generally render their customers monthly bills showing in kilowatt-hoursthe previous and present meter readings and the difierence between thetwo, this difference being the consumption of electricity by the user.Many companies find it desirable to use bills of the punched card typesuch as used by the wellknown McBee Keysort System, in which code slots,representative of the Consumption amount, are punched in the card tofacilitate rapid sorting and analysis for classification of the user.

In performing such billing operations, the Previous and Present amountsare taken from the meter readers book, together with his computation ofthe difference, and are indexed in the accounting machine keyboard bythe operator. In this method of billing there is obviously thepossibility that either the meter reader or operator has made an errorin reading or handling the amounts.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide amachine for receiving separately the several amounts involved in asingle transaction of the character above described, for printing theamounts upon the bill or work piece, for automatically computing theamounts to prove the transaction, and further, for automaticallypunching one of the amounts in the bill if, and only if, the entries arecorrect.

With this and incidental objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theessential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and apreferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference tothe drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of an accounting machine embodying theinvention,

Figure 2 is a right side elevation showing the crossfooter, registers,punch selector mechanism, type bars and actuating mechanism,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the motor and the associated machinecycling mechanism,

Figure 4 is a detail front elevation of the motor clutch mechanism,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the automatic control cams,

Figure 6 is a right side elevation of the cross-- 2 footer engaging,actuating and automatic subtraction control mechanism,

Figure 7 is a right side elevation of the register selecting, engagingand actuating mechanism,

Figure 8 is a perspective view (taken from the right) of the type bars,crossfooter, the actuating racks therefor and the bill count mechanism,

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the A and B registers,

Figure 10 is a perspective view (taken from the right) of the mechanismfor retaining amounts indexed until the appropriate cycle,

Figure 11 is a fragmental top plan view of certain parts of the leftkeyboard amount indexing mechanism and showing its connection with theamount clearing and retention mechanism,

Figure 12 is a perspective view (taken from the left) of the tally rollsupport and platen, the bill chute and an automatic bill locatingmember,

Figure 13 is a left side elevation of certain conventional ribbon liftmechanism that controls operation of the automatic bill locating lever,

Figure 14 is a right side elevation of the platen line spacing mechanismin normal position, i. e., at the end of a third machine cycle,

Figure 15 is a, fragmental view similar to Figure 14 but with the partsshown in the positions which they occupy at the end of the first machinecycle,

Figure 16 is a perspective view (taken from the left) showing themanual, Classification punch selecting mechanism together with latch andrestoring means therefor,

Figure 1'7 is a detail left side elevation showing the connection ofcertain parts of the manual punch latch restoring mechanism,

Figure 18 is a detail left side elevation of the manual punch latchslide,

Figure 19 is a right side elevation of the punch actuating mechanism andthe automatic punch selector latches, the parts being shown in thepositions they occupy Just prior to a punching operation,

Figure 20 is a perspective view (taken from the right) showing theConsumption amount, punch selecting mechanism and the automatic controlstherefor,

Figure 21 is a detail perspective view (taken from the left) of theConsumption amount punch selector slides,

Figure 22 is a right side elevation of the Consumption amount punchselector latch restoring mechanism in normal position, i. e., at the endof a third machine cycle.

Figure 23 is a view similar to Figure 22, with the parts shown in thepositions that they occupy midway oi the first half of the first machinecycle,

Figure '24 is a view similar to Figure 23 but with the parts shown inthe positions that they occupy at the end of the first half of the firstcycle,

Figure 25 is a view similar to Figure 24 but with the parts shown in thepositionsthat they occupy at the end of afirst machine cycle,

Figure 26 is a perspective view (taken from the left) showing the punchactuating and restoring mechanism and the automatic proof control forthe punch actuating mechanism, the parts being shown in the positionsthey occup after the com pletion of a third machine'cycleand the puncheshaving been actuated,

Figure 27 is a right side elevation oithe mechanisms shown in Figure 26but with the parts shown in the positions that they occupy at :the endof a first machine cycle,

Figure 28 is a detail right side elevation of a crossfooter wheel,

Figure 29 is a perspective view (taken from the left) of the automaticbill ejecting mechanism with-the parts shown in the positions that theyoccupy prior to ejection of a bill,

Figure 30 is a left'side sectional elevation of theejecting mechanismwith the parts shown in the positions that they occupy after theejectionof a bill,

Figures 31 and 32 are similar detail elevations of certain \parts showninFigures 29 and 30, showing the movement of these parts during anejecting operation,

Figure 33 is a diagrammatic viewof a printed and punched bill togetherwith a tally showing normal and various other billing operations,

Figure 34 is a view similar to Figure 33 but showing a dual meterreading billingoperation,

Figure 35 is a right side elevation of a noncount key and associatedparts,

Figure 36 is a perspective. view (taken from the left) showing certainofthe'parts shown in Figure 35 together with mechanism for effectingdual line printing upon the bills,

Figure 37 is a detail right side elevation of the type bars showing thearrangement of certain hammer release mechanism for enabling independentprinting of zeros by the units order bars,

Figure 38 is aperspective view (taken from the right) showing certainblank cycle enforcing mechanism and its connectionwith the manualcontrol key, conventional: type bar detents, an auxiliary zero printingdetent and the crossfooter and register total key control for thesedetents,

Figure 39 is a-detail plan view showing the conventional detents innormal position,

Figure 40 is a view similar to Figure 39 but with the detents shown intheir moved positions,

Figure 41 is a fragmentaldetail right side elevation of the register andcrossfooter total slides and their connection with the detent control,and,

Figure 42 is a perspective view (taken from the right) of the manualcontrol key and associated mechanisms for disabling automatic controlof.

the machine.

General description In many respects the present machine is similar tothe one disclosed in U. S. Patent No.

chute forsupportingfrontied forms or bills and.

a stationary carriage having a platen for supporting rear fed paper. Ithas three totalizers, which, in the following description will bereferred to as the crossfooter and registers A and B, the crossfooterbeing capable of adding and subtracting, and the registers being capableof adding only. Registers A and B are divided into two sections, makingeachcapable of accumulating two separate amounts.

The machine has the usual type bars and associated actuators that areadjustable under the control of stops set by the amount keys. Theactuators associated with the left group of amount keys are arranged toadd amounts entered in that group in the crossfooter and the leftsections of the A and B registers and the actuators associated with theright group of amount keys are arranged to subtract amounts entered inthat group from the crossfooter and add said amounts in the rightsection of the B register. A series of control cams that are rotatedduring each machine cycle, automatically control the various machineoperationsthat may be initiated manually by the keyboard. A keyisprovided for conditioning the machine for automatic controlby the cams,or manual control by the keys.

A series of punches is provided, certain of which are automaticallysetfor punching: code slots. in the bill corresponding to one of theamounts entered on the left group of amount keys, and others of whichare manually set by the punch setting keys for punching slotsdesignating various classifications. Sensing mechanism under the controlof the crossfooter and a part of the machine cycling mechanism isprovided so that all of the set punches will be actuated upon thecompletion of a billingoperation if the proper amounts are entered.

The machine is started by depression of a motor bar. In a single billingoperation, the motor bar is depressed twice, the first depressioncausing the machine to cycle once, and the second depression causing themachine to cycle twice. Hereinafter these cycles will be referred to asthe first, second and third machine cycles.

In order that the following description may be more readily understood,a skeleton outline of the sequence of machine operations in rendering abill for an electric power consumer will now be given. It will beunderstood that the choice of an electric power. company as a user ofthe machine is illustrative onlyand simply gives a typical example ofone of. the many uses to which the machine is adapted. In such billingoperations, the (kilowatt-hour) Consumption amount is indexed in theleftamount keyboard and the motor bar depressed'to initiate the firstmachine cycle. During this cycle the Consumption amount is printed on atally strip and added in the crossfooter and in the left SCtIOH OfTthB-A register. Also during this cycle, a bill count of 1 is automaticallyeffected in the right (counter) side of the A register, and punchesrepresentative of the Consumption amount are automatically set, ready topunch the-code slots in the bill. Following this first cycle, the billisinserted in the chute, the manually controlled classification punchesare set, the Previous and Present meter reading amounts are indexed inthe left and right amountkeys, respectively, and the motor bar isdepressedto initiate the second cycle. During this cycle the Previousamount is printed on the bill and added in the crossfooter and in theleft section of the B register. The Present? meter reading amountis heldindexed in the keyboard but is non-printed and non-accumulated duringthis second cycle. During the third cycle, the Present meter readingamount is printed upon the bill, is added in the right section of the Bregister, and is subtracted from the crossfooter.

Following the third machine cycle, if the crossfooter is cleared, as itwill be if the amounts entered are correct (i. e., if the total of theConsumption and Previous amounts equals the subtracted Present amount)the punches will be automatically actuated to punch slots representativeof the Consumption amount and the classification in the bill. Followingthis punching, the bill is automatically ejected.

At the end of a days billing, the machine is conditioned for manualcontrol by depressing the manual control key. Thereupon, totals of theConsumption amounts and the bill count are taken from the A register.Likewise, totals of the Previous and Present meter readings are takenfrom the B register.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION INDEX or TOPICS 1. The machine sections and actuatingmechanism.

2. The machine cycling mechanism. 3. Crossfooter engagement andactuation.

4. Register selection, engagement and actuation.

5. Bill counter.

6. Mechanism for retaining indexed amounts in the indexing mechanism.

7. Releasing present amount type bars.

8. Paper supporting and feeding apparatus.

9. Punch mechanism generally.

10. Manual punch selecting and latching mechanism.

11. Automatic punch selecting and latching mechanism.

12. Punch actuating mechanism.

13. Automatic proof control for punch aotuating mechanism.

14. Automatic bill ejecting mechanism. Normal billing operation. Dualmeter reading bills. Duplicate bills. Printing zeros. Manual operationcontrol key. Taking totals. Correcting errors.

1. The machine sections and actuating mechanism.

Referring to Figure 1, the machine includes the customary keyboardhaving two sets (left and right) of amount keys I and 2, punch settingkeys 3, operation controlling keys 4, a manual control key 5 and a motorbar 6. The machine has a roller platen 1 around which a tally 8 is fed,a chute 9 being provided in front of the tally for receiving bills orwork sheets from a supply magazine I2 for printing by type bars I3.

A series of punches such as M (Figure 2) located to the rear of anaperture I5 (Figure 1) are arranged to punch slots in the low-er edge ofthe bill. A removable container I6 is provided to receive the punchings.

The machine also has two registers designated A and B in Figure 2. Eachregister is comprised of a plurality of ten-tooth wheels and each isdivided so as to constitute in effect two separate 6 registers (seeFigure 9). operable for addition only.

Situated in front of the registers is a crossfooter I! having aplurality of twenty-tooth wheels capable of both addition andsubtraction.

The machine is arranged to be normally under the automatic control ofcams indicated generally at I8 (see also Figure 5), mounted upon a camshaft l9 that is normally rotated during the second half of each machinecycle. Automatic control by cams l8 may be disabled and manual controlby keys 4 enabled by depression of the manual control key 5.

The mechanism for automatically selecting punches M for actuation isindicated generally at 2| and is suspended by posts 22 from the base ofthe machine.

The machine is operated by an actuating shaft 23 that is arranged to berocked first counter-- clockwise and then clockwise during each cycle ofthe machine under the control of the machine cycling mechanism, to belater described.

Two similar arms 24, only one of which is shown, are secured to driveshaft 23 and are each provided with rollers such as 25, that rest in camslots in the forward ends of two similar arms such as 26, pivoted on arod 2'! and situated on opposite sides of type bars l3. A series ofactuating levers such as 28, there being a lever for each type bar, arepivoted on rod 27 between arms 26 and are tensioned clockwise about therod by springs such as 29 so that the upper edges of the levers restagainst a tie rod 32 secured between arms 26. The forward ends of levers28 are each pivoted at 33 to their corresponding type bars !3 which areguided for vertical movement in the machine frame. The rear end of eachlever 28 is connected by pin and slot connection 33 to a bell crank 35also pivoted on rod Z'l adjacent each actuating lever. The rear ends ofbell cranks 35 are pivoted at 3G? to corresponding register actuatingracks 37 guided for vertical movement in the machine frame. Springs suchas 38 connected between each bell crank and lever, normally tension thebell cranks counterclockwise about rod 21 so that the pins of the pinand slot connections 34 are urged toward the upper edges of the slotsfor effecting a transfer from one order to the next higher order asdis-- closed in Patent 2,194,270. Referring to Figure 9, it will benoted that transfer lugs on the middle wheel of each group in the A andB registers are omitted, thus dividing each register into two separateand independent sections hereinafter referred to as the left and rightsections.

Type bars 13 are divided into two groups indicated as Consumption andPrevious and Present in Figure 8. The left or Consumption and Previousgroup of type bars is associated with the left set of amount keys 5(Figure 1) whereas the right or Present group is as sociated with theright set of amount keys 2. Rearward projections 39 (Figures 2 and 8) onthe right group of type bars support a series of subtracting racks 42 onone side of the cross foot-er wheels i7 and similar but longer andoffset projections 43 on the left group, support a series of addingracks M on the opposite side of the crossfooter. The usual pin and slotconnections The registers are 45 are provided between the racks and theprojections for transfer purposes, the transfer mechanism beingidentical with that disclosed in the before-mentioned Patent 2,194,270.

Operation of the machine causes arms 24 and

